The Election Commission of Pakistan has set July 1 as the last date for providing necessary maps and data for holding local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Islamabad. The commission has warned that further delay in providing the required information could affect the electoral process.
A meeting chaired by the Chief Election Commissioner reviewed the preparations for the local body elections in Islamabad, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in detail.
During the meeting, the Election Commission was informed that maps and other necessary information related to 15 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have not been provided yet. The commission expressed serious concern over this and directed the provincial authorities to take immediate action.
The commission has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and Secretary Local Bodies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under Article 220 of the Constitution, ordering them to submit all records by July 1. Both the officers will also have to appear in person and explain the delay.
Regarding Islamabad, the commission was told that the issue related to the number of union councils and the delimitation of town corporations is under consideration in the federal cabinet, however, the Election Commission has not yet received the required notification and maps.
The Election Commission has also issued notices to the Chief Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner of Islamabad on this situation and has fixed a hearing on July 1.
The term of the local government in Islamabad ended in 2021, but since then the elections have been postponed several times due to various administrative and legal reasons. As a result, millions of citizens of the federal capital are deprived of local government representation and are facing various civic problems.
The process of local government elections in Punjab has also been pending for a long time. According to the Election Commission, the current phase of delimitation is expected to be completed in August, after which the election schedule can be issued.
Experts say that local government elections are considered the foundation of a democratic system and their continuous delay affects public representation and development process at the local level. According to him, the recent instructions of the Election Commission are an important step forward in moving the electoral process forward.
The Election Commission has made it clear that all relevant institutions must provide full cooperation in accordance with their constitutional obligations so that obstacles to the holding of local government elections can be removed and the people can get representation at the local level.
